Get to Know Nathan Pace

At General Mills and across the globe, April marks the celebration of Global Volunteer Week, encouraging us to come together and give back to the places we call home. While Nathan Pace spends most of his time solving problems with engineering tools, he’s also dedicated countless hours to leading General Mills’ volunteerism with Habitat for Humanity and engaging colleagues. 

Learn more about how Nathan’s work has shaped his community in and outside of General Mills.

What made you decide to get involved with Habitat for Humanity through General Mills? 

When I was in college, one of the local churches coordinated spring break trips to work on Habitat for Humanity sites around the country. I got to go on two of those trips and really enjoyed the experience. On the second trip, I got to know the gal who led the trip. After we got back, I asked her out, and we have now been married for 24 years. Supporting Habitat has always been important to us, so I wanted to be a part of continuing General Mills’ longtime support of the organization.

How has volunteerism at General Mills added to your work community? 

It’s given me an opportunity to meet and work with people from parts of the company that I wouldn’t cross paths with in my day-to-day work. I also find it encouraging that General Mills has so many people interested in giving back to our community.

What has been one of your favorite or most meaningful memories volunteering with Habitat for Humanity? 

My favorite memories are from the years when I volunteered at the start of the project, on the first crew of the summer.  The day starts with a bare foundation, and it feels a bit like a barn raising. You work together as a large team to stand up the wall sections, and by the end of the day you have the shell of the house. Even on days when the work is less fun, the meaningful part is seeing people stick with it, coming back the next year to help again.

You’re also a Sr. Engineer at General Mills, tell us about your day job…what professional accomplishment are you most proud of? 

I’m responsible for Engineering Tools, working to set direction, plan and prioritize work. The way I like to think about it is: “it’s my job to make your job better”.   

I’m most proud of turning people’s ideas for improvements into real solutions that make their work easier. Right now, I’m building a new tool that has eliminated a manual process and will give us better insight into how Engineering can support the enterprise. While it may sound boring, people always appreciate when I can save them time by simplifying and streamlining the tools and processes they work with every day.

Curious to meet more of the incredible people behind General Mills? Explore the full Heart of General Mills spotlight series ➡️ Meet the Team